XNK Therapeutics AB (“XNK”) today announced it joined Sweden’s Innovation Agency’s NextGenNK competence center for the development of next-generation natural killer (NK) cell-based cancer immunotherapies
Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency, is making a significant investment in NextGenNK, where universities and companies will conduct world-class research and innovation in important areas for Sweden while contributing to its global sustainability goals. NextGenNK has received commitments from a consortium of key opinion leaders and experts from academia and the biotech industry to collectively collaborate to create a recognized world-class research environment in the field of NK cell-based immunotherapy targeting cancers.
XNK will work within this competence center to conduct exploratory analyses of the company’s lead investigational product and patient material. The competence center partners have a mutual interest in achieving research results regarding exploratory and immunoinformatic analyses of clinical material. NextGenNK will also support XNK with advanced phenotypic characterization and functionality testing of the Company’s leading drug candidate. The collaboration will extend over five years.
NextGenNK is led by its Director, Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren, M.D., Ph.D., Professor at the Department of Medicine at KI, former Dean of Research at KI, former Director of the Center for Infectious Medicine at KI, Board Member of XNK Therapeutics, and member of the Nobel Assembly at KI.
“We are grateful to Vinnova for recognizing the potential global impact on human health by establishing NextGenNK,” stated Dr. Ljunggren. “We propose to develop a precision-medicine strategy to direct NK cells to their cancer targets and to optimally stimulate NK cell activity in the body. By assembling leading scientists and clinicians, including those who have played key roles over the past four decades of NK cell innovation, this collaboration and discovery-network are expected to generate outcomes that go far beyond the capability of any individual partner.”
“I am excited that XNK can be part of this competence center building on the research that has been part of KI since the discovery of NK cells in the 1970s,” said Johan Liwing, CEO of XNK Therapeutics. “XNK is one of the pioneering companies within the Swedish Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) landscape, and we are happy to contribute and strengthen Sweden’s position in the international field of NK cell research. Furthermore, this collaboration will be critical for the clinical development of our leading drug candidate.”
For more information, please contact:
Johan Liwing, CEO, XNK Therapeutics
Tel: +46 706 70 36 75
E-mail: johan.liwing@xnktherapeutics.com
About XNK Therapeutics AB
XNK Therapeutics is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focusing its efforts on preventing and treating cancer by developing novel NK cell-based therapies. The company has established a leadership position in the clinical development and manufacture of autologous NK cell-based products using its proprietary technology platform. The company’s platform technology and leading investigational drug candidate have ideal properties for targeting cancers, including settings where allogeneic cell products are not readily applicable. It is foreseen that the product will bring a critical component to tomorrow’s cancer treatment strategies. XNK Therapeutics is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. For more info, please visit xnktherapeutics.com.
About XNK Therapeutics’ technology platform
The platform has ideal properties to produce autologous NK cell-based drug candidates for targeting malignant diseases across a wide range of indications in mono- and combination therapy. It encompasses a unique closed manufacturing system for the development of NK cell-based products. The process includes a selective expansion and activation of NK cells from peripheral blood of patients with cancer. The product is produced in less than three weeks. It is delivered to the clinic upon need, where the product is thawed and infused into the patient without any further processing. The product has demonstrated an up to 10-year stability in liquid nitrogen. The assets of XNK Therapeutics are protected by patents in the US, Europe, and certain other jurisdictions. Additional patent applications have been filed.
